[House Report 117-615]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
117th Congress } { Report
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
2d Session } { 117-615
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RED RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE BOUNDARY MODIFICATION ACT
_______
December 12, 2022.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on
the State of the Union and ordered to be printed
_______
Mr. Grijalva, from the Committee on Natural Resources, submitted the
following
R E P O R T
[To accompany H.R. 6427]
The Committee on Natural Resources, to whom was referred
the bill (H.R. 6427) to amend the Red River National Wildlife
Refuge Act to modify the boundary of the Red River National
Wildlife Refuge, and for other purposes, having considered the
same, reports favorably thereon with an amendment and
recommends that the bill as amended do pass.
The amendment is as follows:
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Red River National Wildlife Refuge
Boundary Modification Act''.
SEC. 2. RED RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE BOUNDARY MODIFICATION.
Section 3(a)(1) of the Red River National Wildlife Refuge Act (Public
Law 106-300; 114 Stat. 1055) is amended by striking ``map entitled `Red
River National Wildlife Refuge--Selection Area', dated September 5,
2000'' and inserting ``map entitled `Red River National Wildlife Refuge
Acquisition Boundary' and dated March 21, 2022''.
Purpose of the Bill
The purpose of H.R. 6427 is to amend the Red River National
Wildlife Refuge Act to modify the boundary of the Red River
National Wildlife Refuge.
Background and Need for Legislation
The Red River National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was created
when the Red River National Wildlife Refuge Act was signed into
law on October 13, 2000.\1\ The Refuge consists of nearly
50,000 acres of Federal lands and waters, stretching about 120
miles along portions of the Red River between Colfax,
Louisiana, and the Arkansas state line. Every year,
approximately 80,000 waterfowl utilize the Refuge as a place
for feeding and resting, and over 200 species of neotropical
migratory songbirds stop over at the Refuge.
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\1\Pub. L. 106-300.
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In 2016, the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) developed a
Strategic Action Plan for Waterfowl Management in the
Southeast, which established the Waterfowl Working Group to
increase waterfowl management efficiency on NWRs. In 2020, the
Group finalized consistent waterfowl targets across the
southeast region for waterfowl and sandhill cranes and found
that the current land of the Red River NWR does not produce
enough food for the number of birds that visit, and the Refuge
would need to expand.\2\
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\2\Hagy, H., R. Wilson, J. Stanton, and Z. Cravens. 2020. A Process
for Establishing Waterfowl Conservation Objectives for National
Wildlife Refuges in the Southeast Region. U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service. https://ecos.fws.gov/ServCat/DownloadFile/175323.
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H.R. 6427 modifies the Red River NWR's acquisition boundary
to allow for the conveyance of a 3,300-acre tract of privately
owned land. This expansion will help address the food deficit
for waterfowl. In addition, FWS anticipates additional
benefits, such as local economic benefits through partnerships
with local farmers, enhanced public access within and outside
the Refuge, and substantial waterfowl distribution throughout
the region.
Committee Action
H.R. 6427 was introduced on January 19, 2022, by
Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA). The bill was referred
solely to the Committee on Natural Resources, and within the
Committee to the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife.
On March 29, 2022, the Subcommittee held a hearing on the bill.
On December 8, 2022, the Natural Resources Committee met to
consider the bill. The Subcommittee was discharged by unanimous
consent. Chair Raul M. Grijalva (D-AZ) offered an amendment
designated Grijalva amendment #1. The amendment was agreed to
by unanimous consent. The bill, as amended, was adopted and
ordered favorably reported to the House of Representatives by
unanimous consent.
Hearings
For the purposes of clause 3(c)(6) of House rule XIII, the
following hearing was used to develop or consider this measure:
hearing by the Subcommittee on Water, Oceans, and Wildlife held
on March 29, 2022.
Committee Oversight Findings and Recommendations
Regarding clause 2(b)(1) of rule X and clause 3(c)(1) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives, the
Committee on Natural Resources' oversight findings and
recommendations are reflected in the body of this report.
Compliance With House Rule XIII and Congressional Budget Act
1. Cost of Legislation and the Congressional Budget Act.
With respect to the requirements of clause 3(c)(2) and (3) of
rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives and
sections 308(a) and 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of
1974, as well as clause 3(d) of rule XIII of the Rules of the
House of Representatives, the Committee has received the
following materials for the bill from the Director of the
Congressional Budget Office:
Legislation Considered Under Suspension of the Rules
The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives
announces bills that will be considered under suspension of the
rules in that chamber. Under suspension, floor debate is
limited, all floor amendments are prohibited, points of order
against the bill are waived, and final passage requires a two-
thirds majority vote.
At the request of the Majority Leader and the House
Committee on the Budget, CBO estimates the effects of those
bills on direct spending and revenues. CBO has limited time to
review the legislation before consideration. Although it is
possible in most cases to determine whether the legislation
would affect direct spending or revenues, time may be
insufficient to estimate the magnitude of those effects. If CBO
has prepared estimates for similar or identical legislation, a
more detailed assessment of budgetary effects, including
effects on spending subject to appropriation, may be included.
[GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]
The Committee adopts as its own any finalized additional
materials of the Director of the Congressional Budget Office
regarding the bill, should such materials be made available
before House passage of the bill.
2. General Performance Goals and Objectives. As required by
clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII, the general performance goals and
objectives of this bill are to amend the Red River National
Wildlife Refuge Act to modify the boundary of the Red River
National Wildlife Refuge.
Earmark Statement
This bill does not contain any Congressional earmarks,
limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined
under clause 9(e), 9(f), and 9(g) of rule XXI of the Rules of
the House of Representatives.
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act Statement
An estimate of federal mandates prepared by the Director of
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chair of
the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee, if such
estimate is not publicly available on the Congressional Budget
Office website.
Existing Programs
This bill does not establish or reauthorize a program of
the federal government known to be duplicative of another
program.
Preemption of State, Local, or Tribal Law
Any preemptive effect of this bill over state, local, or
tribal law is intended to be consistent with the bill's
purposes and text and the Supremacy Clause of Article VI of the
U.S. Constitution.
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported
In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (existing law
proposed to be omitted is enclosed in black brackets, new
matter is printed in italics, and existing law in which no
change is proposed is shown in roman):
RED RIVER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ACT
* * * * * * *
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSES OF REFUGE.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish the
Red River National Wildlife Refuge, consisting of
approximately 50,000 acres of Federal lands, waters,
and interests therein within the boundaries depicted
upon the [map entitled ``Red River National Wildlife
Refuge--Selection Area'', dated September 5, 2000] map
entitled ``Red River National Wildlife Refuge
Acquisition Boundary'' and dated March 21, 2022.
(2) Boundary revisions.--The Secretary shall make
such minor revisions of the boundaries of the Refuge as
may be appropriate to carry out the purposes of the
Refuge or to facilitate the acquisition of property
within the Refuge.
(3) Availability of map.--The Secretary shall keep
the map referred to in paragraph (1) available for
inspection in appropriate offices of the United States
Fish and Wildlife Service.
(b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Refuge are the following:
(1) To provide for the restoration and conservation
of native plants and animal communities on suitable
sites in the Red River basin, including restoration of
extirpated species.
(2) To provide habitat for migratory birds.
(3) To provide technical assistance to private land
owners in the restoration of their lands for the
benefit of fish and wildlife.
(c) Effective Date.--The establishment of the Refuge under
paragraph (1) of subsection (a) shall take effect on the date
the Secretary publishes, in the Federal Register and
publications of local circulation in the vicinity of the area
within the boundaries referred to in that paragraph, a notice
that sufficient property has been acquired by the United States
within those boundaries to constitute an area that can be
efficiently managed as a National Wildlife Refuge.
* * * * * * *
Supplemental, Minority, Additional, or Dissenting Views
None.
[all]